How this prominent draft analyst views several Clemson prospects
By: Staff Report January 31, 2023

This week, a prominent NFL Draft analyst ranked his top 50 draft-eligible prospects.

NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, who is considered one of the top draft analysts, gave his 2023 NFL Draft prospect rankings 1.0 and has several Clemson prospects ranked among the top 50.

Jeremiah has Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy ranked No. 18, followed by linebacker Trenton Simpson at No. 30 and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at No. 43. Tight end Davis Allen rounded out Jeremiah’s top 50, coming in at No. 50.

Jeremiah provided his take on each of the aforementioned former Tigers. Here’s how he views them early in the process ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft:

Murphy is a tall, high-cut edge rusher with long arms. At Clemson, he split his time between standing up on the edge and aligning in a four-point stance. He offers an explosive first step and likes to use his inside arm to initially jolt offensive tackles before separating and closing on the quarterback. He does stall out too often with his pure bull rush. He is stout at the point of attack in the run game, but needs to become a more consistent tackler. I love his motor and nonstop effort to chase plays from the back side. Overall, Murphy is ready to start right away and can provide value on all three downs.

Simpson is a tall, twitched-up, off-ball linebacker. He is excellent in man coverage. He has the speed and agility to mirror tight ends all over the field. He isn’t as reliable when dropping into zone coverage; he is late to react, but his speed helps cover it up most of the time. He is an excellent blitzer and closes in a hurry. Also, Simpson is effective when spying the quarterback. Once he decides to go, he’s a blur. Against the run, he’s at his best when he can see from outside the box. He will get lost in the trash inside the box on occasion. Overall, I wish Simpson was a little more instinctive inside, but his speed and athleticism should translate well to the next level.

Bresee has ideal height and bulk for the position. He moved up and down the line of scrimmage in Clemson’s scheme. Against the pass, he generates pressures on slants and is an effective looper in pass-rush games. He has some shock in his hands, but stalls out too often once he’s engaged. He has some hip and ankle tightness. Against the run, he shows block awareness and utilizes his quick hands to keep blockers off his chest. He looked gassed at times this past season, which was likely the result of high snap counts while still recovering from injury. Overall, Bresee flashes on tape, but he needs to be more consistent.

A tall, rangy tight end with a big catch radius, Allen was a pleasant surprise on tape. He is a smooth, easy mover who understands how to set up defenders as a route runner. He creates separation and is a natural catcher. He always frames the ball beautifully away from his body. He can really climb the ladder to make plays above the rim. He has burst after the catch and flashes the ability to break tackles. A wall-off/shield blocker in the run game, he gets in the way and shows effort. Overall, Allen has tremendous upside and is an underappreciated weapon in this position group.

Jeremiah’s first mock draft published on Jan. 20 projected Murphy, Simpson and Bresee as first-round picks, with Murphy going No. 10 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles, Simpson going No. 18 to the Detroit Lions and Bresee going No. 30 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 2023 NFL Draft is scheduled to be held from April 27-29 in Kansas City, Missouri.

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